Pulpería Santa Elvira: Food for love.

Located in the heart of the working-class Matta Sur neighborhood, you'll find one of Santiago's gastronomic gems, a place that has been making headlines in recent years—not only for its spectacular food but also for its message of decentralizing access to services like fine dining and democratizing this concept for the community it serves.

In 2018, Pucara Travel began its first explorations and tourism services in the Matta Sur neighborhood of Santiago. One of our main collaborators, the Matta Sur Neighborhood Defense Committee, welcomed us with open arms and the hope that their "Valuable Neighborhood" could make its way onto Santiago's tourist scene. During one of our many meetings, we were told about a very special place—hidden within the walls of a 1920s house, offering a unique gastronomic experience.

With that in mind, we headed to Santa Elvira Street, where we discovered this humble house, which, once it opened its doors, transported us into an intimate world filled with passion and love for what is made with care.

We met Javier Avilés and Flor Velasco, who had arrived in Matta Sur with the goal of presenting a proposal for responsible, signature cuisine—using organic ingredients and local producers—that would allow Chilean cuisine to be understood through the simplicity of its ingredients. Once there, we asked ourselves: Why isn’t this restaurant located in the eastern part of Santiago, where all the fine dining of the city is concentrated? And Javi’s answer came quickly:

“We believe that cuisine should be democratized and brought closer to the neighborhoods where the effort and work of the cook are truly valued, because that’s what I am—a cook, not a chef.”

Javier Avilés and Flor Velasco, owners of Pulpería Santa Elvira

Thus, Pulpería Santa Elvira was born from the concept of providing not only excellent-level food, but also food made with the awareness that food nourishes the soul and strengthens the spirit. The name "pulpería" is no coincidence. Javi is from the city of Antofagasta, in northern Chile, and it was in this dry, desert land where nitrate mines were established—nitrate being a key material used for fertilizers and explosives during the early 20th century.

In these mining towns, "pulperías" were large warehouses where workers could obtain the basic necessities for survival through credits, which kept them in modern-day slavery, unable to afford better living conditions.

The Matta Sur neighborhood is the perfect example of this history, being a working-class neighborhood that grew as rural workers migrated to the city in search of better living conditions, during times similar to those of the nitrate mines.

It was in this very neighborhood that Intendant Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna decided to build the infamous “Camino de Cintura” (Beltway), which separated the "educated, Christian, cultured" Santiago from the "slums, pastures of filth and death" (as he described them).

Barrio Matta Sur - Downtown Santiago

Since then, our mission has been to bring this sense of community and food "behind closed doors" to international travelers who wish to escape the conventional and extravagant, and instead connect with local Santiago.

Six years have passed since then, a pandemic (during which Pulpería offered meals under the concept of "common pots" to help those in need), and two consecutive nominations to the 50 Best Restaurants of Latin America by The 50 Best. In 2023, they reached 70th place, and this year they moved up to 57th, also ranking in the top 3 best restaurants in Chile within the same list.

ROCA: Mushrooms from northern Chile

Photo: @carolinavargasc on Instagram

Their cuisine is proof of the love put into every dish. Ingredients like seaweed, river fish, mushrooms from southern Chile, and unique flavor combinations make Pulpería Santa Elvira justifiably one of the best places to experience Chilean cuisine from a fresh perspective.

Pucara Travel offers personalized, private tours to Santiago and its surroundings, and also manages reservations to experience this gastronomic treasure,

Pulpería Santa Elvira, with private transport and everything included, ensuring you enjoy an unforgettable dining experience.